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ESA’s Proba-3 Mission Successfully Launched

On December 5, Proba-3 was successfully launched aboard a PSLV-XL rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in Sriharikota, India, at 11:34 CET (10:34 GMT, 16:04 local time). This mission utilized the Indian launch vehicle to achieve a highly elliptical orbit, extending beyond 60,500 km above Earth.

Following a thorough integration and testing process at Redwire Space in Belgium, Proba-3 was transported to India for final preparations ahead of its launch.

Dual Spacecraft Launch

Proba-3 represents a significant addition to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) portfolio of in-orbit demonstration missions. Notably, it consists of two separate spacecraft that will operate in tandem, capable of precise formation flying with an accuracy of just one millimeter—comparable to the thickness of a typical fingernail. This precision is critical as the mission aims to achieve an ambitious scientific objective.

Scientific Goals

The two spacecraft will align with the Sun while maintaining a distance of 150 meters, enabling one to cast a carefully controlled shadow onto the other. This configuration will allow Proba-3’s ‘Occulter’ spacecraft to obstruct the Sun’s intense light, emulating a total solar eclipse. This setup is intended to facilitate observations of the faint solar atmosphere, or ‘corona’, which is incredibly dim—approximately one million times less bright than the Sun itself. The second spacecraft, known as the ‘Coronagraph’, will host the optical instruments necessary for these observations.

Looking Ahead

Provided the initial commissioning phase of Proba-3 proceeds as scheduled, the two spacecraft will separate early in the coming year to commence independent checkouts. The operational phase, which includes the mission’s first observations of the solar corona through active formation flying, is expected to commence roughly four months thereafter.

The Proba-3 mission has been a collaborative effort, led by Sener in Spain for ESA. This project brought together a consortium of 14 ESA member states and Canada. Key contributors included Airbus Defence and Space from Spain, which constructed the spacecraft, and Redwire Space in Belgium, responsible for spacecraft avionics, assembly, and operations. Additionally, CSL in Belgium manufactured the ASPIICS coronagraph, while Spacebel developed both the onboard and ground segment software. GMV handled the formation flying system and flight dynamics, showcasing a robust international partnership in space exploration.

Source
www.esa.int